


Close As Strangers (Kise Ryota & Reader)

by estelledivine



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Betrayal, Childhood Friends, F/M, Light Angst, Reunions, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 16:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4571070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estelledivine/pseuds/estelledivine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kise, your childhood friend and crush for almost your entire lifetime, has become a sensation as an idol. However, you still cannot face him as you remember the hurt and pain you have caused... </p><p>One shot of Kise Ryota & Reader</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close As Strangers (Kise Ryota & Reader)

_“Even though it hurts so much,_  
Every night I’m losing you in a thousand faces,  
Now it feels like we’re as close as strangers.”  
-5 Seconds of Summer, Close as Strangers 

Four hours earlier, you would not have expected to be stuck in an elevator with Kise Ryota. 

Much to your friend’s wishes, you nonchalantly accepted her invitation to watch the hottest movie in town. It was a movie with great expectations with a revolutionary cast – that is, it was the film that would make him a household name. 

You haven’t seen him since elementary. Though you lived in the same neighborhood, his Teiko uniform suddenly became foreign to your own uniform. His lanky figure suddenly bloomed into a lean and muscle. His choppy hair became beautiful, shiny locks of blonde. Years passed, and soon you began to see him in teenage girl magazines. In perfume advertisements. In fashion commercials. Your mother would seldom talk about him – after all, she and his mother were the best of friends. But you were never really interested anymore. Even though still a high school student in Kaijo, everyone has heard his name somewhere. It could have been from his modelling for the girls, or maybe it could have been his reputation as one of the Generation of Miracles to those fond of basketball. 

But to you, he was your childhood friend, the one who used to cry all the time, the one you always played dress-up with. The special friend nobody else had. Ryo. 

As you looked at the movie poster, with his smooth face dominating over the other actors, his name in the middle of everyone else’s, all you saw was an unfamiliar face of a person you once knew. It still haunted you, no matter how much you told yourself it did not matter anymore. 

You were well aware of the brawl between him and Haizaki, another basketball player from his Teiko. During those days, you wanted to be there for him. But you knew that you would not know what to say when you finally saw him. You would not know how to form the words to the Ryo who has always been the one helping you. How could you help him back? 

_“Ryo?” you called out. He was about to enter the house. “Ryo, are you okay?” He turned to look at you. Sadness. Sadness all over his face._

After that, your mother stopped talking about him completely. “You know, Ryo would really be ecstatic if you two starting talking with each other again.” 

“Then why didn’t he talk to me first?” you asked, remembering all those love letters given from his fans, all those chocolates he received during Valentine’s Day. All those busy schedules for modelling and basketball practice, all replaced by the times the two of you shared together. 

“Does he really have to make the first move?” Your mom replied back. And that was the end of it. 

The movie theatre was a swarm of girls your age in the wave of excitement to finally spectate Kise on the big screen. This was his big shot – his first main role as the protagonist. You saw many girls wearing shirts with Kise’s face printed on it, paper fans with his name plastered on it. You couldn’t help but feel a little bit jealous. After all, you were probably the only one in the theatre who actually knew him personally. 

Knew. 

The first showing was scheduled to start at 1:30. It was already 1:26 in the afternoon, and you still couldn’t find your friend. For all you knew, she could be part of the cacophony that was the movie theatre. You couldn’t contact her through her cell. 

“Where the hell is she?” you grumbled to yourself, leaning against the wall next to the specific cinema entrance she told you where the both of you would meet up. The waiting line was becoming larger and larger. With no time to lose, you decided to line up yourself. Maybe your friend could find you by then. 

You made your way through the line when suddenly a large force bumped your shoulder. You were surprised yourself because this force caused you to lose your balance. With a loud thump to the floor, you found yourself face flat against a chiseled body of a man. 

Embarrassment swept throughout your skin and you immediately stood up. “I’m so sorry!” you said in instinct, grabbing his hand to support him. “Are you okay?” you asked and took a look at your face, and suddenly – 

The monsters started to creep behind you. He still looked as gorgeous as ever – no wait, he twinkled like he was carved by the gods. Your embarrassment rose even more because you realized you were sitting on top of Kise Ryota. 

At first glance, you would never expect the man to be him. He was wearing an oversized beanie on top of his head, headphones hanging around his neck, a baggy sweater with an abstract print together with leather jeans and chucks. He also wore gigantic eyeglasses – he was playing the role of a college student of some sort. But even with his disguise, you knew it was him. 

It was in his eyes. Those catlike eyes you always stared at when you were younger.  
.  
You were still looking at him, and he was still looking at you. But instead of feeling the joy of two childhood friends together again after more than ten years, you were not ready to face him now. Not when those monsters were there, ready to devour you. 

“[y/n]-cchi?” Kise breathed out. 

_Why weren’t you there when he needed you the most?_ The monsters asked inside your head. 

“I’m sorry!” you repeated and dashed away. You ran away as fast as you could towards the end of the line, hoping when you turn back, you would never see him again. 

~ 

“I’m so glad I finally found you!” your friend exclaimed, hugging you as a greeting. “I wasn’t able to catch my train, but it’s okay now, I’m here!” 

“Yeah, good thing you’re here. What would I ever do without you?” you laughed nervously. Your hands were sweating. Your cheeks were probably burning. The image of Kise at the bottom of you was swirling through your mind. 

“I know, right? Anyways, it must be fate that we’re watching Ryo-tan’s new movie here!” She squealed, shaking her whole entire body. You raised an eyebrow. Your friend leaned closer and whispered, “Apparently, Ryo-tan himself is in this cinema! Right now!” 

“No _freaking_ way!” You couldn’t control your fear. 

“Yes way! The Ryo-tan fanbase posted it on Twitter. They never lie, you know. You think I have the chance to finally meet him? I’ve been a fan of his for ages…” 

“If fate’s on our side, maybe you will,” you answered. Of course, you made sure it was an answer your friend would approve of. She nodded her head and grabbed your hand. “Let’s go inside the cinema, then!”

~

To your surprise, you actually enjoyed the film. For a moment, you were in gratitude to your friend, who invited you in the first place. All the elements of action, drama, and romance were played beautifully. But you were mostly amazed by Kise’s acting. He moved the crowd with his fantastic portrayal. In some parts of the movie, tears were forming as Kise’s character faced great challenges against his enemies. 

By the time the movie ended, you and your friend parted ways. “Well, I’m going to go on a manhunt.” You knew who she was going to hunt for. 

“Wouldn’t that come across to you as a stalker?” 

“I wouldn’t mind at all!” Your friend pouted, and you laughed. “I need to take my chances, you know? If I never meet Ryo-tan today, I’ll probably never meet him ever.”  
She has a point, you thought. “Okay. Have fun searching for him.” You waved a good-bye, and she did the same. 

Before heading home, you wanted to go pass by a bakeshop your mother has been fawning about for ages. As you proceed to your destination, you could not help but to feel a strange presence behind you. You reassured yourself that there was nobody following you. But still – you felt wary and unease. You started to move faster. It was a blessing that you were born with long legs along with your height of 5’9. 

The elevator – go to the elevator! Wrong choice, you immediately thought, but it was the only option you thought of that moment. As you stepped inside the elevator, you made a hand towards the button – not until another hand grabbed the elevator doors, forcing the elevator to open. 

You whimpered. You prayed to the gods that this was not happening to you – this was a dream. But it was no use. A man entered the elevator along with you, and it was a man you wished you would never see in your lifetime ever again. 

The elevator doors closed, and it was only you and him. A pregnant silence bored the air and you could listen to the rapid beating of your heart. The elevator was not either going up or going down. It stayed stationary. And it would not move unless someone moved first. 

Again, you pressed the button to go to the ground floor. This was another wrong move because Kise grabbed your hand after, pushing you against the walls of the elevator. There was a loud thump between you and the wall. Kise used his other arm to block you. 

Your eyes did not meet his catlike ones. 

“[y/n]-cchi,” he called out. Your name sounded so sweet and melodious from his lips. Who would ever knew that this man was the same man from the film you watched earlier ago? 

“Let go of me, Kise,” you hissed. Confusion spread throughout your bones. Why were you being so rude to him, when you longed to see him after all these years? 

“Why won’t you look at me? I never thought I would see you again,” he said. 

Because I don’t know how to face you when I actually would ever meet you, you thought. “Just let me go already. Please.” 

Kise let go of his grip and you began to relax. The elevator reached the third floor. You still did not want to look at him in the eye because you were afraid of what you might see. Disappointment? Rage? How could you ever face him again, after what you have done to him? He was in front of you, and you can feel his eyes looking at your entire body.  
He broke the silence once again. “I missed you so much.” 

“You should not have,” you replied back. Immediately you wanted to take those words back. 

“Look at me.” 

You were in utopia when you saw Kise again in the movie theatre. Seeing him in magazines, advertisements and now in movies just was not enough. You longed to touch him in the flesh and tell him how much you missed him too. But then you remember about Haizaki, how you were not there for him when he needed you the most. 

You can’t keep on running forever, you told yourself. Those monsters behind you – you have to face them soon. 

You lifted your eyes and locked it with Kise’s. Oh, how beautiful he has become throughout these ten years. His catlike eyes were telling a story, with sentences such as I missed you I wanted to see you I’ve been looking for you- 

Where were you when I needed you the most? 

“[y/n]-cchi? Why are you crying?” Kise asked, cupping his fingers against your right cheek. You sniffed a little bit, trying to hold back your tears but your cheeks were already wet because of it. You continued to cry, letting out all the feelings you’ve been harboring all these years. 

“I-I thought yo-you hated me be-because – with Hai-hai-za – I’m so-sorry,” you stammered through your tears. Your vision started to blur. Your hands began to shake. You cared for Kise so much, he was an irreplaceable part of your life. And you did not want him to go away. 

Kise wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tighter with his strong arms like he did not want to let you go. He soothed your hair, patting your back. He smelled like something fruity. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Don’t worry, I’m right here. I won’t leave you again.” 

“I’m so so-sorry, Kis- ” you said again, not until you were cut off by Kise’s lips against yours. It was a short kiss – a soft touch for a second. But that one second felt like a millennium to you. All the words he wanted to say, all the love letters, all the wishes and all the dreams, were in that one, short kiss. Your crying gradually stopped. He wiped your tears away and titled his head, placing a sweet kiss in your forehead. The elevator was already in the second floor. 

“That was all in the past, [y/n]-cchi,” he told you. His eyes twinkled against the fluorescent lamp on top of him. He was glowing more than before. “This is the present now. How about let’s rewind back to the old days, huh, [y/n]-cchi?” There he was. The Ryo you were well familiar with. 

You laughed a little. “Yes, yes I would love that, Ryo.” 

Kise hugged you tighter, lifting you up your feet. This caught you off guard, but you laughed it off. Kise pecked your ear and whispered, “I love it when you call me Ryo.” 

You looked at him in the eye. “I need to take my chances, you know?” The elevator reached the ground floor. You took his hand and smiled. “You were really great in the movie, by the way.”


End file.
